F.E.A.R. 3 - PlayStation 3http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/default.aspxen-USTelligent Community 1.5.134.12297 (Build: 5.5.134.12297)F.E.A.R. 3 Review: Where Are The Scares?http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/06/21/review.aspxTue, 21 Jun 2011 22:28:26 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:1011564Matt Bertz0<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/warner-bros/fear-3/FEAR3_Fettel_single_presenting610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>When big names like film director John Carpenter (The Thing, Halloween) and comic book writer Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) attach themselves to a project, it&rsquo;s not unreasonable to expect certain degree of terror. After Warner Bros. announced the two were collaborating with Day 1 Studios to develop F.E.A.R. 3, I anticipated a game that would re-embrace the dedication to scaring the bejesus out of players that many, including myself, felt was lost in the action-heavy sequel. </p>
<p>F.E.A.R. 3 features many of the integral pieces necessary to deliver frights &ndash; haunting sound effects, an arresting atmosphere, and foreboding environments &ndash; yet too often the game recycles old techniques that proved scary in 2005 but do little to raise my blood pressure now. Alma&rsquo;s apparition has strolled across my path so many times at this point she&rsquo;s more like an annoying pest than a fearsome poltergeist.</p>
<p>The uninspired story does even less to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. At the end of Project Origin, protagonist Michael Beckett somehow impregnated the demented psychic. Now estranged brothers Point Man and Paxton Fettel have reunited, and Fettel wants the family to attend the birth of their new sibling. Before they start buying Hallmark cards, however, the brothers have some issues to work out. The primary gripe? Point Man murdered his bro in the first game.</p>
<p>This uneasy alliance sets the stage for the campaign, a five-hour experience best played in co-op. One user plays as Point Man, a weapons expert who can momentarily slow down time during battle. The other controls Fettel, the infinitely more interesting apparition who can suspend enemies in the air, shock them to death from afar, and inhabit enemy bodies for a short time to use their weapons. It&rsquo;s a shame the abilities aren&rsquo;t more balanced, because his unique skills make Fettel the clear-cut preference.</p>
<p>F.E.A.R. 3&rsquo;s campaign is short on terror, but the satisfying action keeps it from being a complete loss. The enemies are more aggressive than typical shooters; opposing soldiers constantly trying to flank you in open spaces, the dog-like scavengers attack in packs, and cultists rush at you like hordes of brain-dead zombies. The few mech encounters in particular are menacing. These hulking machines proved surprisingly agile, making their way into areas I thought were safe. </p>
<p>Some levels are so poorly designed it&rsquo;s hard to tell where you&rsquo;re supposed to go next, but many have a memorable atmosphere. As you move through the quarantined city&rsquo;s abandoned prisons, desolate suburbs, and ruined commercial districts, the bleakness of the circumstance is palpable. My favorite locations were an abandoned bulk retail outlet, where a crazed group of freaks spring from behind walls of glowing HDTVs, and the creepy suburban neighborhood, which featured candlelit homes defaced with demonic ramblings scribbled in blood on white walls.</p>
<p>While playing through the campaign, each player racks up points for completing specific challenges. Though the game never tells you outright, these scores determine which ending you see. If Point Man has a higher score, he becomes the dominant character in the conclusion. If Fettel wins, his decisions drive the finale. It would have been nice to know beforehand, because it may have encouraged more backstabbing and point hoarding during my playthrough, during which Reiner and I often shared the wealth.</p>
<p>The single player campaign may lack suspense, but the multiplayer delivers it in bulk. Day 1 Studios deserves credit forgoing the deathmatch/team deathmatch/capture the flag multiplayer mode holy trinity in favor of more colorful choices. The star mode is F---ing Run, a speed trial that tasks four players with pressing through enemies at a breakneck speed while avoiding the Wall of Death chasing them from behind. Contractions is another winner &ndash;&nbsp;a frantic spin-off of Call of Duty&rsquo;s Zombie mode where you must scavenge for supplies in between waves of enemies. The last two modes, which revolve around possessing enemy bodies, are also a welcome change of pace. A universal ranking accrues points for your campaign and multiplayer exploits, but without a system of unlocks or rewards I wonder how long players will stick around.</p>
<p>In many ways, the F.E.A.R. story feels like it has run its course. Like most long-running horror series, the scares that thrilled us years ago no longer do the trick, and as I learn more about Alma&rsquo;s family, the less interested I become in trudging forward. However, if you hardly pay attention to narratives and are looking for a fun multiplayer experience, F.E.A.R. 3 is worth checking out.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=1011564" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3Warner Bros. InteractiveDay 1 StudiosF.E.A.R. 3pcReview'Soul Survivor' Mode Aims To Bring Campaign's Action To Multiplayerhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/05/31/39-soul-survivor-39-mode-aims-to-bring-campaign-39-s-action-to-multiplayer.aspxTue, 31 May 2011 15:39:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:956951Jeff Cork0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=956951http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/05/31/39-soul-survivor-39-mode-aims-to-bring-campaign-39-s-action-to-multiplayer.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/warner-bros/fear-3/fear30531-610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Warner and Day 1 Studios have been playing up F.E.A.R. 3&#39;s multiplayer action lately, releasing trailers for its <a target="_blank" title="f&#39;ing run" href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/pc/archive/2011/05/13/there-39-s-no-time-for-rest-in-new-f-e-a-r-3-video.aspx">f&#39;ing run</a> and <a target="_blank" title="soul king" href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/xbox360/archive/2011/05/23/possess-your-foes-in-39-soul-king-39-multiplayer.aspx">soul king</a> modes. Today, they&#39;re showing off its soul survivor game type, which melds the action of the campaign with multiplayer.</p>
<p>In soul survivor, a squad of players faces off against a single human player, who has been infected by Alma. That spectre has to kill AI enemies and convert human players. It seems to be similar to a zombie mode, in that infected players change their allegiance and work to take out the remaining soldiers. At any rate, you can see it in action below.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>Look for the game on the PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360 on June 21.</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=956951" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewWarner Bros. InteractiveDay 1 StudiosF.E.A.R. 3F.E.A.R.pcmultiplayerxbox 360There's No Time For Rest In New F.E.A.R. 3 Videohttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/05/13/there-39-s-no-time-for-rest-in-new-f-e-a-r-3-video.aspxFri, 13 May 2011 14:32:13 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:919627Jeff Cork1http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=919627http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/05/13/there-39-s-no-time-for-rest-in-new-f-e-a-r-3-video.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/warner-bros/fear-3/fear30513-610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>We first told you about F.E.A.R. 3&#39;s provocatively titled F***ing Run mode in a <a title="recent preview" href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/xbox360/archive/2011/04/16/multiplayer-trailer-screens-show-gory-details.aspx">recent preview</a>,
but there&#39;s nothing quite like seeing it for yourself in motion. Warner
Bros. and Day 1 Studios have released a trailer for the co-op game
type, which pits squads against a terrifying enemy: Alma&#39;s unstoppable
wall of death.</p>
<p>As you might gather from the description
&quot;unstoppable wall of death,&quot; it won&#39;t do players any good to pour
bullets into this foggy nightmare. Instead, as the mode&#39;s title says,
run. Players have to fight their way through enemies and navigate
obstacles, all the while being slowly chased by the advancing menace. If
one player dies, it&#39;s game over for the entire team, so don&#39;t think
you&#39;re doing anyone any favors by lone-wolfing it to the finish line.
Check it out below.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>Look for the game on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on June 21.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=919627" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3FEAR 3PreviewWarner Bros. InteractiveDay 1 StudiosF.E.A.R. 3fpsMultiplayer Trailer, Screens Show Gory Detailshttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/04/16/multiplayer-trailer-screens-show-gory-details.aspxSat, 16 Apr 2011 17:36:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:857105Adam Biessener1http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=857105http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/04/16/multiplayer-trailer-screens-show-gory-details.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/warner-bros/fear-3/multitrailer2_610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Day 1 Studios&#39; inventive multiplayer modes look kind of awesome,
believe it or not. See for yourself with this trailer and a big batch of
new screens.</p>
<p><b>F@#$ing Run!</b> is a cooperative game that has players booking it to
escape an unstoppable wall of death. Of course, there&#39;s no shortage of
Armacham troops between you and the exit. On the plus side, at least
there are checkpoints along the way for when you inevitably get owned.</p>
<p><b>Contractions </b>is also cooperative, and resembles Call of Duty&#39;s
Zombies mode. Your team has to work together to build barricades,
scavenge weapons, and ultimately survive the ever-encroaching fog that
covers the advance of twenty waves of enemies.</p>
<p><b>Soul Survivor</b> starts cooperatively, with a squad facing off against
Armacham goons. Alma corrupts one player at a time, whose goal then
becomes to wreck his or her former allies. The Soul Survivor wins the
round, but it&#39;s unclear how the mechanics work and how you win once
you&#39;ve been corrupted.</p>
<p><b>Soul King</b> is the most competitive of the modes. In this free-for-all
match, each player is a specter that can possess the AI enemies running
around the level. You then use your host body to kill anything that
moves and collect its soul. You respawn as a specter when killed, but at
the price of half your souls. Whoever has the most souls when the timer
expires wins.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>I have to be honest here: I&#39;ve been off the F.E.A.R. train after the
first game, which I adored. The expansions left me cold, as did F.E.A.R.
2. These multiplayer modes sound cool, though, and I salute Day 1 for
doing something that fits the setting and gives players something new,
rather than trying and failing to compete with the Call of Dutys and
Battlefields of the world.</p>
<p>More into single-player? See the previous trailer, titled The Ides of March, <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/controlpanel/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/03/30/say-hello-to-mother-in-new-f-e-a-r-3-trailer.aspx">here</a> for a look at what the creepy, gory action/horror adventure will be like on your own.</p>
<p>We&#39;ll see how it all turns out when the game launches on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC in May.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=857105" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewF.E.A.R. 3Say Hello To Mother In New F.E.A.R. 3 Trailerhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/03/30/say-hello-to-mother-in-new-f-e-a-r-3-trailer.aspxWed, 30 Mar 2011 14:34:07 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:826916Meagan Marie0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=826916http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/03/30/say-hello-to-mother-in-new-f-e-a-r-3-trailer.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/warner-bros/fear-3/alma610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>If you haven&rsquo;t been following F.E.A.R. 3, the twisted tale and
franchise canon aren&rsquo;t easy to grasp. Warner&rsquo;s newest story trailer
attempts to illuminate the disturbing scenario, featuring Alma and her
two sons Point Man and Paxton Fettel. <br /><br />Check out the video below. A warning; the blood and gore aren&rsquo;t the creepiest aspects of this game. <br /><br />(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p><br />If you want to further explore the rocky relationship between Point Man and Fettel, check out the recent <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/controlpanel/games/fear_3/b/pc/archive/2011/03/15/beware-f-e-a-r-3-39-s-ides-of-march.aspx">Ides of March trailer</a>. <br /><br />F.E.A.R. 3 &ndash; Warner Bros&rsquo; upcoming paranormal FPS &ndash; is slated to release in May for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=826916" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewF.E.A.R. 3WarnerAlmaBeware F.E.A.R. 3's Ides of Marchhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/03/15/beware-f-e-a-r-3-39-s-ides-of-march.aspxTue, 15 Mar 2011 15:50:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:803704Matthew Kato0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=803704http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/03/15/beware-f-e-a-r-3-39-s-ides-of-march.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/warner-bros/fear-3/fear33.15ps3610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>F.E.A.R. 3&#39;s new Ides of March Trailer gives you a glimpse into the
relationship between Point Man and his brother Paxton Fettel.</p>
<p>The Ides of March is the day (today, March 15) that Julius Caesar was
betrayed and killed by friend Brutus and others. To honor that day,
publisher Warner Bros. Interactive and developer Day 1 Studios have
released this Ides of March trailer featuring F.E.A.R. 3&#39;s Point Man and
his haunted relationship with his brother, Paxton Fettel. Fettel
appears as an apparition to Point Man and goads him about his own
betrayal of his family. Point Man killed Fettel in the first F.E.A.R.,
and now Fettel is back to try to win Point Man over to his side with his
mother &ndash; the destructive and crazy Alma Wade.</p>
<p>This certainly isn&#39;t the last you&#39;ll see between Fettel and Point
Man, as F.E.A.R. 3 has a co-op mode that joins the two brothers but at
times pits them against each other depending on their individual motives
and the gameplay at hand.</p>
<p>For more on Paxton Fettel, his telekinetic abilities, and how you can utilize him in the single-player campaign, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/02/14/play-f-e-a-r-3-single-player-mode-as-paxton-fettel.aspx">check out this previous preview</a> featuring a trailer with the man.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=803704" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3mediaPreviewWarner Bros. InteractiveDay 1 StudiosTrailerF.E.A.R. 3F.E.A.R.PS3F.E.A.R. 3 Aiming To Keep It Scaryhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/02/25/f-e-a-r-3-aiming-to-keep-it-scary.aspxFri, 25 Feb 2011 16:38:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:771095Matthew Kato0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=771095http://www.gameinformer.com/games/fear_3/b/ps3/archive/2011/02/25/f-e-a-r-3-aiming-to-keep-it-scary.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/warner-bros/fear-3/fear3225ps3610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>It&#39;s hard to get the scares down consistently in a video game, but
the developers over at Day 1 Studios are saying they&#39;re working on
making F.E.A.R. 3 a frightening experience.</p>
<p>Take a look at this new video where some of the environmental and
sound developers talk about the work they are doing to keep gamers on
the edge of their seats.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=771095" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3mediaFEAR 3PreviewWarner Bros. InteractiveDay 1 StudiosTrailerF.E.A.R. 3